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Fostering resilience later in life: a narrative approach involving people facing disabling circumstances, carers and members of minority groups

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2014

GOETZ OTTMANN  and
MARGARITA MARAGOUDAKI
GOETZ OTTMANN*
Affiliation:
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia. Uniting Care Life Assist, Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia.
MARGARITA MARAGOUDAKI
Affiliation:
Uniting Care Life Assist, Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia.
*
Address for correspondence: Goetz Ottmann, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Over the last two decades, the concept of resilience has become the focus of a growing body of gerontological research. However, there is a dearth of qualitative research that explores how socio-economic and socio-cultural factors shape older people's resilience. This study addresses this gap and explores the concept of resilience through the lens of 25 Australians from a variety of backgrounds, investigating the resilience strategies they employed in the face of different challenging life events. A qualitative narrative methodology involving one focus group and semi-structured interviews was employed. A stratified convenience sample of 34 people aged 60 and over participated in semi-structured interviews between 2009 and 2011. The study describes the meaning participants assigned to the term resilience, and focuses on the range of resilience responses and strategies they employed, bringing to light some key commonalities and differences. The study's findings suggest that access to economic and cultural resources and the nature of the adversity older people face can shape and limit their resilience strategies. The article outlines how the concept of resilience could be incorporated into aged care practice and argues that resilience-focused interventions that potentially broaden the resilience repertoire of older people should be explored within an aged care context.

Keywords

resiliencesocio-economic factorssocio-cultural factorsolder peoplehealthy ageingcopingcommunity aged care
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 35 , Issue 10 , November 2015 , pp. 2071 - 2099
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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